Mortally Invincible
by coolgle
Summary: 'My savior destroyed me.' Bella tried to be normal. She tried not to feel anything for others. But when she moves to Forks, she meets Edward Cullen, who is beginning to piece together her secrets. However, her past is catching up with her and she must make the ultimate decision. But if you have nothing to lose you can do anything, especially if it is for the one you love.
1. Prologue - The End

**Prologue – The End**

I know that this is the end; that today I am going to die, even if I win. Yet, I don't feel afraid. Why should I be?

_I _won't run. _I _won't hide; they should. They may think I'm too weak and scared; that I'm too young. But they're wrong.

Then again, I suppose that if you have nothing to lose you can do anything. Especially if it's for the one you love.

With these thoughts running through my mind, I open the door to the one place I thought I could be safe in; the one place I thought I could call "home". The one place that will surely lead me to my death.


	2. Chapter 1 - For Bella

**Chapter One ****- For Bella**

"But Daddy, I don't want to go!" The toddler cried. "Why am I going? I want to stay with you."

"Bella, you and Mommy are going to stay at Riverside with Uncle Rob. Now I want you to be a good girl; try not to stress Mommy out, understand?" The young girl nodded, with the seriousness only two year olds can achieve. "Take care of yourself, and please don't do anything reckless. I love you; remember that. Now go to the car, okay?" He bent over and kissed her forehead.

"Kay. Love you." The girl tottered out of the house.

A young woman with crazy curls descended the stairs, "Charlie, we don't need to do this." She said in a low voice. The crying had stopped hours ago; only despair was left.

"You know what she can do. It's better this way." Charlie mumbled, his eyes downcast.

"What will they do? She's just a child! She doesn't deserve this, she's just a…" The young woman collapsed sobbing on Charlie's shoulder.

"I know, Renee. I know. But they've sent people after us; we need to do this for Bella's sake."

"Charlie, I…I'll miss you." She turned to go.

"Wait!" Charlie held her by her shoulder. "I…"

"Just let me go, Charlie." Taking his hand from her shoulder, she turned and walked away, out of the door and out of his life.

He stumbled backwards, his vision blurring. He had always heard of heartbreak, but it was so different feeling it. So… real. His heart felt like it was being ripped in two, and the pain. It was indescribable.

"For Bella." He whispered as he sank down to his knees. "For Bella."


	3. Chapter 2 - Accident

**Chapter Two – Accident**

I heard the terrible noise of metal grinding against metal, just as I was going out to buy some lollipops.

I turned around and gasped as I saw my best and only friend about to be run over by a car. I didn't stop to think for even one second about what I was going to do; I just reacted.

I found myself running towards the impending disaster and shoving Laura out of the way while the car continued its disastrous route towards me.

I was frozen, like a rabbit caught in headlights. Unable to move.

And then it hit me.

Here's the thing: it was the _car_that was dented; not me. I didn't even have a bruise. However, the car was not so lucky. Its hood was damaged beyond repair and the windscreen had shattered.

Slowly everyone turned to look at me with wide eyes.

"Uhh…" I said, unsure of how to explain myself. Inwardly, I berated myself for being so stupid. Mommy had always told me that I should never use my power, and yet I just did. Mommy would understand, wouldn't she?

As an ambulance arrived on the scene, I was immediately carted inside. "I'm fine!" I said, trying to resist their attempts to keep me on the stretcher.

"Exactly." A paramedic said before injecting me. The last thing I saw before I drifted into the darkness was him drawing his gun and pointing it somewhere behind me.

…

My dreams were chaotic, a blur of images. I saw my mother carrying me in her arms, my father playing with me.

Then I saw them. The Agency. There was a man, dressed in a sharp, tactical vest with an ever so noticeable holster.

I saw myself draped in white, on a hospital gurney connected to hundreds of wires, tubes, and monitors. "Begin," A disembodied voice commanded.

I felt a cold, sharp pain on my skin, and a warm liquid spilling over my chest. Alarms blared and monitors bleeped in an incessant rhythm.

I felt someone pick me up gently, and then I was dead to the world.

…

I woke up in my bed, the TV blaring. I could smell eggs. With one hand supporting the bandages on my chest, I silently crept out of bed.

As I entered the kitchen I realized the source of the smell: Mommy was cooking breakfast.

Hearing me approaching, she turned to face me, her eyes darting around the kitchen. I stumbled as I got closer, but she caught me and gently eased me into a chair.

"Oh, Bella, I was so worried; they were going to do things to you! I was lucky to get you out of there before they could start, but night had already fallen. I was too scared to move you…" She babbled on till I put a hand to her mouth, cutting her short.

"Mommy, its fine. I promise. We'll go somewhere else, and I'll be more careful this time." Mommy nodded and I released her. "I'm hungry!" I announced. And it was true; my insides felt like they were dissolving.

"You've been sleeping for three days, dear." My mum put an omelette on my plate, and smiled as I finished it off in three seconds.

"I thought you didn't like omelettes!" Mommy said, still chuckling. I giggled as well before I noticed the date on the calendar.

"Wait a second; it's my birthday in two days!" I shouted.

"You're going to be seven soon Bella. A grown up." Mommy sighed and I realized that we were going to have to move again.

"Where are we going next?" I asked, curious.

"I was thinking… how about Phoenix?"


	4. Chapter 3 - He Didn't Want Me

**Chapter Three – He****Didn't****Want****Me**

I hate airports. The ID checks, the security cameras, the long waiting times and the fact I could be arrested at any moment. I was half tempted to just catch a plane to some exotic country, a place where I could disappear–like Rio. But, no it just _had_ to be Forks.

The dull weather matched the people; I'd be hard pressed to even find anyone unusual here. But I was the newcomer, the freak. Why on earth do people keep staring at me? Surely one look is enough?

I heard a scream and turned around; there was a man near the baggage carousel, he wielded a Browning M2.50 calibre and had begun shooting everyone in sight. "Great." I mumbled under my breath. Another crazy killer.

I turned around and continued walking, as the shots rained down behind me. I remembered now, the man was Charles Lawson; he had been a stalker with a sadist edge. His favourite weapon was a machine gun. He had been an escapee from a prison where he was about to be released. 'What an idiot!' I thought. 'At least there's a good side to being a daughter of a cop. You always know the news.'

I heard more scream, mingled with the wails of babies and panicked children; they would die soon. Yet, I didn't care. It's easier to stand by and let it happen than to allow myself to face the agency.

Charlie would be disappointed in me.

I heard a metallic clang at the side of my body, and I stopped walking. He had shot me.

There was no blood, no open wound– at least not yet.

But he had shot me, and I was tempted to walk up to him and do…

'Do what Bella? Kill him? You've _just_ arrived; don't mess this up already,' I told myself, rushing out of the airport before I could do any serious damage. Just as I walked through the exit I was immediately assaulted by sirens and flashing blue lights.

"Stop and put your hands behind your head and lie down!" A cop was walking towards me with his gun pointing straight at me.

I sighed and was about to do what he asked when Charlie finally came and saved me from the indignities of being put in handcuffs.

"You took your time, Ch…Dad."

"I was busy. How was your journey?" He started fiddling with his radio.

" are you going to do with him?" I gestured in the direction of the killer.

He grinned. "I'm sure we can think of something."

I was about to reply when I felt it. The thing that made my life a miserable ghost of what it could have been. The thing that saved my life.

The pain was at the top of my bicep, the place where I had been flesh felt like it was being ripping apart and while it burned, and it hurt. I stumbled and gasped for air. "Bella! Are you alright? I need a medic!" I heard Charlie shout out, panicked. The last thing I saw was the sunset.

…

I woke up and groaned. 'Why does this happen every time? I _always_ wake up in my bed!' My mouth felt like sawdust and my hands were shaking. My mouth tilted in a half smile. 'Charlie must have had the job of carrying my body here alone.' I staggered out of bed. 'Serves him right for abandoning me and Mom,' I thought, smirking.

I found Charlie slumped in a chair, snoring with one hand on a kitchen knife and the other holding a pink teddy bear.

I stifled a laugh and bent over to take the bear when Charlie moaned. I froze. "Renee, is that you?" He muttered while I tried not to breathe. "Five more minutes, Renee." He turned over and began to snore again.

I tiptoed away, careful not to disturb him and inspected the teddy bear in my hand. It seemed familiar somehow, as if the object itself gave a sense of déjà vu. It was a soft baby pink with tattered buttons and a little sewn on message. I let out a gasp as I read it.

_My Dear Bella,_

_We Love You So Much_

_And Wish You Could Have More Of A Childhood._

_So We Hope Tatter Hood Will Protect You_

_Like We Never Could._

Tatter Hood. The name stirred up old memories. Memories of birthday parties and guns, of lollipops and poison, and of the night Charlie told me and Mom to leave.

…

"Tatter Hood saves the day again!" The toddler played with a pink teddy bear, oblivious to the sobs coming from the room next to hers. She didn't even notice when Mommy came in with red eyes and wet sleeves.

"Bella?" As Renee sat down next to her, Bella turned around with Tatter Hood tightly pressed against her thin frame.

"Mommy, why are you upset?" Bella asked nervously, her eyes wide. "Did the bad men come again? I'll kick them harder next time; maybe I should do it between their legs. Jessica did it to Mike once and he said it really hurt. Why does it hurt, Mommy?"

Renee laughed, imagining little Bella kicking those men where it hurt. But then she sobered up as she remembered what she had to do. They were discussing how they were going to break it to Bella when Charlie had put forward the idea of divorcing each other, living apart, and pretending they didn't love each other. 'He was always the man who sacrificed everything for other people,' Renee thought while holding her daughters hand, looking her straight in the eye and telling her the lie. The very lie that her daughter would take with her for the rest of her life.

"Daddy doesn't love us anymore."

Bella took in a sharp breath; she knew about this. She had seen it on TV, but that was make-believe; this couldn't be happening in real life. Not to me. Mommy and Daddy would never do this. They loved each other. She had wanted to ask Mommy so many questions but the only thing she could get out was one word. "Why?"

"Daddy can't cope, Bella. He's a police officer, and he can't be seen doing something illegal. He doesn't want us, so we need to go. We need to leave."

'He doesn't want me.' Bella thought, 'He doesn't want me, but I'll prove him wrong. I'll make him want me again.' But a small voice at the back of her head kept on whispering, 'He doesn't want me.'


	5. Chapter 4 - To Care or Not to Care?

**Chapter Four – To Care or Not to Care**

I looked down at the thing. Its red bumper glared at me in the sunlight and its bulbous headlights stared me down.

"How do you like it? I know it's not exactly new, but it's a good old Chevy. At least that's what Billy said; however, we were slightly drunk at the time and I had just caught this huge fish so I was ever so slightly excited. Oh, _and_ he was about to sent it to the scrap yard, but…" He paused. "It's still a good car!" Charlie tapped the bonnet with a smug expression.

"Err…" I wasn't exactly sure what to say. It wasn't like I had Porsches at home, but I didn't actually want to pay for…the thing. It had possibilities as a name at least. "How much is it?" I asked, trying to mask my look of horror.

"Well I kind of already paid for it, like a homecoming present." He ruffled his hair, looking a bit embarrassed. "I mean you can always get something else, if you don't like it." He looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"Free?" I blurted out without thinking. "I mean, thanks so much, it's brilliant!" Charlie's face lit up and I smiled; it was so easy to please him.

I climbed into the driver's seat and revved the engine. It roared; I wouldn't be surprised if it woke up everyone on the street. I sighed as I looked was a sorry beast smelling of old leather and cigarettes, and it was hard to drive as the gears kept on slipping.

"Have a nice day at school, Bells," Charlie said, holding my hand.

"You too, without the school part of course. But yeah…" I finished rather lamely.

He laughed but then turned serious again as he said, "Be careful, and don't care for people, alright?"

"Even you?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He didn't laugh, instead looking in my eyes and saying, "Even me."

I pulled out thinking hard about Charlie's words. Was I actually supposed to not care for him, or was this just a way to tell me he didn't love me?

I shook my head. 'Don't think about that, it's your first day here. You should be happy, so think positive!' I told myself as I reached Forks High. I must say, I wasn't impressed. Where were the CCTV cameras, the metal detectors, the fences? What kind of school didn't even have a fence?

As I got out of my aging truck, I noticed them. They had had come out of a silver shiny Volvo, easily the best car in the lot. But that's not why I looked at them. They were different, icy almost, with this unnatural beauty which was so hard to describe. Their faces were perfectly proportioned, not even an eye lash out of place. But all of my attention was on one face.

His hair was an almost golden colour, and messy; it was as if he had just got out of bed. His pale porcelain face held a small trace of stubble on his chin. But his eyes…his eyes looked at me like he could see my every thought, my every desire, what made me and what broke me. He seemed to know everything.

'Was he like me?' I thought, but then I chastised myself. 'Why on earth are you thinking he's like you? You haven't even met him. Don't make things up that you know aren't true. He's human, one hundred percent human.'

The bell rang, and a crowd of students surged towards me, pushing me about and I fell. I fell just because I was thinking about that stupid boy and his stupid good-looking family. I would pay for that mistake later. Anger surged through me and I saw one of the family members, a boy with wild blond hair, shake his head in my direction.

When I got up, the corridor was thankfully clear of students. Attempting to clear my thoughts, I collected my books and set off for the reception desk.

"Can I help you dear?" The receptionist had a soft, round face with short brown curls framing her pale face.

"My name is Isabella Swan; I'm a new student here," I said in my politest voice. She laughed a little too loudly and a little too vigorously to be genuine in my opinion, but I shrugged it off. I looked behind her desk and immediately regretted it. How many plants does someone need? The level of greenness hurt my eyes and reminded me too much of my past.

"The Chief's daughter, welcome back! Here's your timetable and some slips you need your teachers to sign, alright?" She paused, looking at me like I was some animal on display at the zoo. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you come to Forks, Isabella?" She smiled, obviously trying to glean some new gossip from me. I hate people sometimes.

"I do mind, and the name's Bella." I turned on my heels and walked straight out, leaving the receptionist in mid-sentence.

As I walked to my first lesson, my mind was in chaos. 'Did that receptionist deserve that? Am I mean, a bully?' Then my mind calmed. 'I can't care for anybody, and they shouldn't care for me. But I shouldn't attract attention like that.'

School went by fast; almost too fast; it was a mess of activity, introductions and staring. 'Why did they have to stare that much?' All too soon I was seated at a table in lunch with people I hardly recognized, let alone remember their names.

The family was sitting all together at the end of the cafeteria. They didn't seem to be eating anything and I was once again admiring their perfection. Then the small, pixie-like girl emerged from their table and skipped, as graceful as a ballerina, to dump her untouched tray of food in the trash. It was only then that I noticed their clothes: they were all designer brands, all seeming to have just come out of the factory. It almost wasn't fair to have good looks as well as money.

"Who are they?" I asked the blonde girl in front of me. It was only then I remembered her name was Jessica.

"Oh, they're the Cullens; they were all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife." I was surprised at the Cullens' generosity, they had taken in five kids who they had no relation to whatsoever and raised them as their own. "But I heard that she can't have kids anyway. The girl with the blonde hair is Rosalie Hale. Her brother is the boy with the crazy hair, Jasper. The muscular boy is Emmett, the pixie is Alice, and the golden boy is Edward. Oh, and he doesn't date apparently." I sensed some history and hid a grin, carrying on with eating my sandwich.

'Biology II, how hard can that be?' I had been in the AP classes in Phoenix so this, I hoped, would be a breeze. As I entered the classroom I noticed that the golden one, Edward, stiffened. His onyx eyes stared at me full of hate. Mr. Banner flustered while signing my slip and sent me over to Edward.

I steeled myself and walked straight up to him. His forehead was creased and his clenched fists pushed up against the table. 'Did he want to kill me? It certainly seemed so.'

I looked at him through the curtain of my hair. I almost wanted to just reach up and snap his neck. It would be so easy. But I controlled myself; there was no sense in killing an innocent boy just because he didn't like you. For whatever reason that was… maybe he liked the receptionist?

As soon as the bell rang he was out. He obviously didn't want to stay one second closer to me. "What did you do to Cullen? He looked like he was constipated or something," Mike asked, grinning. I shrugged, choosing to act dumb. "What's your next period?" He pulled up his bag next to mine.

"P.E." I grimaced. I hated P.E.; there was too much risk involved.

"Me too! Do you want me to walk with you?"

"Sure."

P.E. was thankfully normal. I sat on the bleachers watching everyone else; there are some advantages to being new after all.

I heard a scream of pain; Mike had been kicked in the face by accident. His nose was bleeding and there was a large bump emerging on his forehead. His eyes were glassy and he could hardly stand.

'What a joker,' I thought as the bell rang, 'he was only kicked in the face lightly and he's making a big fuss about it.'

He was being carried out on a stretcher, as he was carried past me he whispered "Bella." 'Did he honestly think I was going to go after him and nurse him back to health? He would get hurt worse if I did.'

As I was about to enter the reception, I saw the person I least wanted to meet: Edward Cullen. He was trying to switch classes to get away from me. 'Be my guest' I thought. He was failing badly so I was about to enter the reception and tell Mrs. Cope my opinion when his head snapped round, his dark eyes seeming to burn me from the inside. In one motion he swept past me, towards his stupid shiny Volvo.

Mrs. Cope smiled at me; she seemed to have had forgiven me. "How was your first day, dear?"

"Normal."


	6. Chapter 5 - Beauty & The Beast

**Chapter Five – Beauty & The Beast**

He wasn't in school today; not that I cared, of course. But when a little voice in your head starts telling you that it might be your fault, you have to listen.

'But was it my fault?' I wondered, parking the truck precariously into the extremely small space that was obviously not made for the monster of a car that was mine.

Luck apparently wasn't going my way and I realized, too late, that the space was too tight and I couldn't get out of my seat or get the truck out.

"You are a complete idiot Swan! And now you're talking to yourself, great! An absolutely perfect way to start your day: get stuck in your own car because of your utter stupidity."

Having realised that telling myself off would not result in me getting out, I was reduced to yelling for help. Sometimes I surprise even myself with my inner helplessness.

"Help! Err…I'm stuck!" Trying to fight the blush that was rapidly appearing on my cheeks, I called again. "Anyone there? I need a bit of help!"

To my complete and utter embarrassment my knight in shining armour was none other than, Eric. 'Brilliant.' Sighing, I committed myself to answering the question I most wanted to avoid.

"Isabella, why do you need help? Did you hurt yourself?" He asked trying to maintain an expression of apparent coolness that he probably picked up from a Bond movie. To me, he just looked like he was in pain.

I swallowed. "It's Bella and I, err…can't get out. It's too small." I let out a nervous laugh; it seemed that the whole school had heard that. 'Just what I need, people gossiping about how little Bella Swan couldn't get out of her car.'

"Oh…just one second, I'll help you." He scampered off like a good little rabbit, only to return with another little rabbit: Mike. After they made some calls and an unnecessary amount of tire smoke, I was free.

…To suffer eternal staring and gossip. But I shouldered on staring straight ahead, hopefully today won't be so bad.

…

It wasn't. Sure, people talked, but did I actually care? Not really.

Except he wasn't there. Edward. Questions filled my head. Did he go because of me? Am I really that repugnant? 'As I should be.' I told myself. 'I'm too dangerous for anyone to get close to me.'

After this morning's adventure, Mike and Eric felt that it was upon them to ensure I was never alone. Which was why I was currently running out of school at full speed, having put them on a wild goose chase for a pair of non-existent earrings.

The engine was its usual clunky self so I set off, only to find mike and Eric chasing me in the rear-view mirror. I laughed and accelerated further, thinking, 'Let's see if they can catch up.'

"I found your earrings!" Mike yelled, then Eric pushed him to the ground and they stared brawling. 'Were those boys actually fighting for me? Me? The girl who wants to be unnoticed and blend in. I really must practice more.' Taking a left I thought, 'But whose earrings where they then?'

I heard a bang and my world turned upside down. Sparks flew everywhere and I was trapped for the second time today, only this wasn't funny. "Come out with your hands on your head! If you do anything we will engage." An unfamiliar voice shouted everything was a blur of colours and noise; a high pitch whine started in my ear.

Slowly I dragged myself out, forcing myself to concentrate. It looked like the truck had been hit by a grenade, which had then made it swerve out of control.

I felt a gun to my head as I lied on the floor. "My, my…Beauty's finally been caught. I knew you weren't a beast at heart. You'll always come home." I knew that voice, teasing but at moment's notice turning cold and violent. The voice that belonged to the man above me, my saviour and my destroyer. "You will come quietly, won't you? Don't even think about having a life; _I_ gave you life. I _own_ you."

That was the last straw. 'I was not going with him, I was not going to bow down to him. I will not!'

Pushing myself up, I slammed my hand into his nose, breaking it. The men surrounding me fired, none of them hurt me. I was about to break his neck when he…laughed?

"So you are a beast!" He raised his eyebrows in a teasing fashion. "I'm pleased. We trained you well." Motioning with one hand, four soldiers marched up to me, tying me down.

I threw the bonds away. and stood in front of them. 'Bend your knees Bella…just a little more. Now relax, tensing won't help you…you're shorter than them so get in close and keep them close, that will make their guns harder to use and it gives you an advantage.' You should always analyse each fight before you enter it. He had taught me that himself.

"You should run away! This is your last chance," I said. I felt the rush of adrenaline. I'd had enough of running, hiding, and being hunted. Now I was making a stand, showing them I was no longer prey but predator.

A soldier stepped in front of me and I delivered a sharp jab to his temple. He died instantly, but I didn't care. I advanced on the others, taking them down one by one. They stabbed at me, shot at me, tried to hurt me, but I never stopped.

It became almost automatic for me: block…punch….divert…punch…kick…block. And soon enough I was alone. They had run, just as I had told them to.

I walked to the truck, flipping it the right side up. Thankfully, the engine was still running. I slid into the driver's seat and sped past all the buildings, all the people. I smiled. It would be ironic if Charlie had to arrest me for speeding, especially since he was the person I was speeding for.

I almost ran to the house; night was falling and I could already feel the energy leaving my body. I slammed through the door, knocking it off its hinges into Charlie's arms.

"What on earth happened Bells? Are you all right?" Charlie stroked my hair.

"The…the agency ambushed me." At the mention of the agency Charlie stiffened. "I fought them off, but they hurt me and they know where we are and it's not safe we need to…"

The pain was all over my body, and everything started to melt away. Charlie said something I couldn't hear, and everything went black.

…

EPOV-

The sleeping girl almost looked peaceful. Her scent was intoxicating, making me crave her blood but I controlled myself. I was stronger than this, than her. I may be damned but I don't have to be a monster.

"Edward." I looked up to Carlisle's calm face. "She's been through a lot," Charlie said. "She'd been mugged straight out of school. They were vicious; I didn't think she'd make it when I first saw her, she had lost so much blood."

I tried to maintain my composure but the image of so much blood was nearly too inviting. Nearly. Carlisle sensed this and hurried me out of the ward.

"Come on, Edward. You can do this, control yourself!" Carlisle urged. We passed Charlie on the way. "Charlie you can go visit Bella, although she's asleep." Carlisle said, and with one funny glance at me he rushed to Bella's room.

…

CPOV-

Bella was sleeping, but I didn't wake her. She needed her rest after what they had done to her. I sat down with my fists clenched. 'How dare they do this to my daughter? After all I did to protect you they still hurt you.' I looked up to her closed eyes, eyes that would normally spark with determination and ferocity.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I…I shouldn't have left you. Not just today, but before. I know you don't know this but I _do_ love Renee. And I _do_ love you," I whispered, pouring my heart out.

I closed my eyes and begged whoever was up there. "Please…please help my daughter."


	7. Chapter 6 - Chasing the Sinner

Chapter Six – Chasing the Sinner

EPOV-

The familiar crunch of granite as we reached the entrance of our house did nothing to calm me down. For some reason, I felt duty bound to protect that insufferable girl. Maybe it was penance, but at this rate I would be happier continuing my journey to hell.

I tried to relax myself and instead focused on finishing Mozart's Requiem, a task that did not, as I had hoped, take up all my brain power. And so I was once again thinking about Bella. Was she afraid? Were those men truly thieves or something worse? Given the state of the girl I would think it to be the latter.

Rosalie would not be happy.

A smile tugged at my lips. 'At least I'd be able to cleanse my conscience for not protecting her. Even though that is a ridiculous thing to pain myself with, as I have nothing to do with her.' But even after this logical explanation of how I shouldn't care for that annoying girl, I still did.

I hate my human instincts sometimes.

Taking a deep breathand a quick glance at Carlisle, I entered.

…

RPOV

Edward was back. My mouth twitched in annoyance; I had been looking forward to spending more time with my M3.

"Rosalie! Come down, it's about Bella." Alice spoke in her usual lilting tones; however, her face betrayed a worry that I hadn't seen on her features in a long time.

"What happened?"

"You'll find out downstairs, now come on!" My sister tapped her foot impatiently.

"No, I meant your expression." I started to worry. If that girl had endangered my family, I might have to ignore Carlisle's peacekeeping just this once.

"Oh, it's just a vision I saw. It's err…nothing, anyway come on." Tugging on my hand, she led me downstairs.

Edward looked different, almost as if he was fighting a battle within himself, choosing which path to take.

"Eddie's in love!" A familiar rumbling voice shouted: Emmett. I smiled and nestled in his arms.

"What do you mean, Edward's in love?" I began to think about cover stories, exits and how my new Lamborghini would be delivered to an empty house.

"I am not in love!" Edward growled, "I don't know why I'm acting like this, and you don't have to be so horrible about it."

"You're just in denial. Eddie's in love!"

"I don't think so actually." Jasper interjected. "He is protective of her, but he's not in love. Not yet, at least."

"What happened to her to make you all care so much?" I didn't get why Edward and the others were so worriedif all she's done is fall over. Really, humans aren't that fragile and, after all, I really needed to go to that new mall in Seattle.

"She was attacked by a group of men outside of school, and she barely survived. I think you can imagine the rest, Rosalie." Carlisle looked at me with his calm gaze, picking the very words he knew would make an effect on me. He succeeded.

I wanted to kill them, hurt them in the worst possible ways I could imagine. Because I knew how it felt, I knew the thoughts that were going through her mind, the terror.

"What happened to them?" I couldn't help it; my voice shook slightly.

"I don't really know. All I can see is a dark alleyway. But we can track them, can't we?" Alice looked at Carlisle.

"It would risk exposing us, and I don't want to endanger any of you."

I glared at him. How could he just stand by when people like them were about? After King I absolutely hated those monsters, I was about to tell him exactly what I thought of his plan when Edward beat me to it.

"We need to chase after them! She didn't deserve what happened to her. Are we just going to stand by until some other girl gets mugged and attacked, too? No, we should go after them."

I nodded in agreement. Edward was very irritating but he made up for it in these kinds of moments.

Carlisle looked at Esme, and she nodded. "We should do it, Carlisle."

Carlisle sighed, defeated.

We got to work quickly; Jasper and Edward were on foot tracking while Carlisle, Esme and Emmett followed in the Jeep. Alice and I were going to flank the attackers, whoever they were.

I could smell them, but couldn't hear them, not even a heart beat or a flutter of an eyelash. Nothing. 'Were they human?'

I walked forward, glancing around until I hit a marble body. Edward.

I let out a surprised gasp and whispered, "Edward what are you doing with us?"I turned around. "Alice what's happening to the attackers?" But Alice was gone.

"Alice!" I shouted "Where are you?" Edward was still beside me, calm and unmoving, 'Was he even Edward? Or was he some shape changing vampire?'

"Rose, I never thought you cared so much about me." Alice appeared from the shadows, "Do you remember that vision I saw." Her smile seemed mocking, 'Was that actually Alice?'

"The one you didn't tell me about. What happened in it?" I was terrified. 'Were these people actually my family? Who were they?'

"Bella, sitting in class laughing with a smile on her face. Bella, covered in blood and grime with a bittersweet expression on her face. Bella in a coffin surrounded by lavender." Edward chanted, expressionlessly reflecting Alice's thoughts.

"Hey Rose!" Emmett was behind me. I turned around and he put his arms around me… was it to comfort me or restrain me? But this was Emmett and I knew it. I knew it in my very soul that this was Emmett and not an imposter.

"What happened to the attackers?" I asked Emmett, releasing myself from his embrace.

His normally cheerful expression sobered. "We found them here. They're dead, all of them."

They were piled on top of each other, killed by some sort of monster but with every injury serving a purpose. This was not a mindless killer.

"Who did this?" Carlisle asked striding towards us, Esme behind him. "Who would do such a thing and why?"

"The same reason we came here, but I can't find any scent here apart from Bella's." Jasper answered, his expression morose. "But Bella couldn't have done this, so who did? Who has no scent and would want to kill these men?"

"Alice had a vision where Bella was covered in blood," I said suddenly. For some reason, that fact was important to me.

"And then she was dead, lying in a coffin about to be buried." Edward looked down, hiding his expression from us.

"Who is Bella really?" Emmett asked.

I had no answer to that.


	8. Chapter 7 - Lunchtime Conversations

**Chapter Seven – Lunchtime Conversations**

"How are you?" I hated those words just then. Did people really need to know if my head was hurting or if I was _still _in shock? I can just imagine them calling a fleet of ambulances just for a broken nail. As if I'd ever need an ambulance at school.

In the cafeteria I had finally gotten a spot that was half hidden next to the toilets. I had hoped nobody would bother me, but I knew that wouldn't stop them forever so I had hatched a partially amusing plan. I smiled in anticipation; soon Mike will be the centre of attention, and I'll be old news.

A large bang then disrupted my thoughts, the building started to shake and the window was a blur of fire.

'Poor Mike Newton, he would miss his car.' I thought, and as I had predicted everyone rushed out to see what happened. I leaned back on my chair; at least I could finally eat my sandwich in peace. Unfortunately, nothing ever goes to plan with me.

"Hello." A quiet voice rang out: Edward. "Would you mind if I sat here?"

'What on earth is he doing here? Why isn't he out with the rest of the school?' I looked towards his family; they were all sitting there as if it was completely normal for large explosions to be heard outside of school. They didn't even flinch. Who on earth were they to not be afraid of an explosion?

"So, I'm sure you're sick of this by now, but how are you?" 'Why was he speaking to me? I was the freak, the one he couldn't stand, he detested me and yet here he was speaking to me and asking if I was all right.'

"I'm fine, thank you." I looked down, 'why was I making conversation with him? I wasn't supposed to encourage him.' I looked up. "In fact, isn't your table down there?" I gestured towards his family, who were currently staring at me as if I was some new scientific discovery.

"Ah yes, but I was afraid of more explosions and the shrapnel is quite large." He looked outside, grimacing slightly.

"Your family doesn't seem to have those reservations," I quipped, focusing my attention on my sandwich. 'I am not going to look at him or his family; I will just wait for him to go away,' I chanted inside my head.

"Neither do you. In fact, you shouldn't even be at school, should you?" He glanced at Rosalie who was now studiously filing her nails.

"And you're a doctor, aren't you? Anyway, I better go now." I made a move to leave, but in one quick motion he grasped my hand. I gasped; his hand was _cold_! It felt like a jolt of electricity had just coursed up my arm and through my body. I lifted my eyes to his and jerked my hand back. "Who are you?"

"I could ask you that question myself; they discovered the bodies of the muggers close to where you were attacked but there's no sign of the attacker. I wonder how that happened." I took in a sharp breath. I wasn't proud of their deaths but I was a monster after all. A monster trying to pretend that it's a nice, innocent girl.

"Why do you hate me?" I asked. I didn't care for subterfuge now. I only wanted answers.

He chuckled lightly but his eyes glinted dangerously as he looked outside. "I don't hate you, but it's better if we weren't friends."

"Better if we weren't friends? Then why are you talking to me?"

"I was curious." And with that he swept past me with his family out of the cafeteria.

With that event to ponder about, I picked up my sandwich and resumed eating.


	9. Chapter 8 - Just Dreams?

**Chapter Eight – Just Dreams?**

Charlie POV-

She was shaking in her bed. I had tried piling blankets on her and turning up the heater, but the fever she was suffering from wasn't one from cold, rather memories and fears.

I sat down in the rocking chair beside her bed, where her grandmother used to sit and sing to her.

I wasn't going to try singing; that would just give Bella more nightmares. So I just leaned back hoping that Bella would know that she wouldn't be alone and that someone would protect her from the monsters in the dark.

With Bella's hair and half of it in her mouth I often wondered how she never choked. She had always done that ever since she was a baby, so she must have learnt it from her mother. I chuckled; Renee was a notorious hair chewer.

Bella would always deny this but I could see it every day in her eyes: she was afraid. She was afraid for me and Renee, afraid for herself and afraid of the agency.

It always came back down to the agency.

I looked back down at Bella's sweating, shaking form and hated myself. I should be braver than this, stronger than this but with every breath she took I remembered that if I had to choose between Forks and Renee or Bella, I would give Bella up.

I got up and silently tiptoed out of my daughter's bedroom.

…

BPOV-

_It was dark and musty; the trees around me gave no comfort with their dark roots cutting into my bare feet. I was cold, too cold,__and the harsh moonbeams cut into my skin like knives._

_Something padded towards me, its shape indistinct but I could make out sharp white teeth, pointed ears and thick russet fur._

_A wolf.__I inhaled sharply. Its cold yellow eyes seemed to be just waiting to kill me. I steadied my breaths trying to get out of the ever rising panic in my mind but I just couldn't.__I was frozen,__able only to stand and wait for my demise._

_I turned around.__I could sense__that__something or someone else was here but I couldn't see them or__hear__them. Would they help me?_

_I felt an icy cold hand on my shoulder, twisting me around. It was Edward, but not Edward;__he was inhuman, callous almost. His lips parted in a smile and the wolf silently treaded towards me, enjoying my terror._

_Edward leaned in close to my cheeks and said in a voice so unlike his, almost like…no,__it couldn't be. "I hope you enjoy your time at the Agency my dear Beauty."_

_The wolf started loping towards me in clean swift strides, his claws an inch from my face._

I woke up panting, my whole body shaking. 'It was just a dream Bella, you shouldn't be afraid. It's _just_ a dream.'

But there was one inescapable word that haunted my mind: 'Vampires.'


	10. Chapter 9 - For the One We Love

**Chapter Nine - For the One We Love**

APOV –

I ran through the forest, feeling the exhilaration of the hunt. I laughed from pure delight, I felt Jasper's hand and my shoulder and I twirled around only to meet a vision that certainly wasn't of my beloved.

_The coven stalked through the clearing, its leader a young woman of about nineteen with brownish black hair of Mexican origin and burgundy eyes in plain sight…Maria. She hissed and…_

"Alice? Are you all right?"

Alice snapped out of the vision instantly, instead focusing on Jasper, his wild hair nearly covering his eyes.

"I'm fine Jasper, it's just…"

"Just what?" Edward asked, with the rest of the family behind him.

"Maria." Jasper tensed. He tried to hide it, but I knew that he hadn't completely gotten over her. "She's got a coven, and she's coming here."

"Maria's coming here?" Jasper punched a tree, and was about to give it another beating when a rustle in the leaves interrupted him.

"Of course, Jas. I'd never leave you alone too long." Maria leaned languidly against a tree trunk, her coven surrounding her like guards which I supposed they were to a person like Maria.

I automatically went into a defensive crouch, the other Cullens joining me. 'This woman had no right to Jasper.' I told myself 'I will fight her for him."

"I'm sorry but Jasper is with us now. But you're welcome to stay as guests." Carlisle told her calmly, contrasting with the fierce energy that lit her face.

"I know, but how he lives on a diet of pests I have no idea." She turned to Jasper and drew him close. "Be with me, I _need_ you." She whispered "We could be like before, all powerful and unstoppable. Just say yes."

That was the final straw. I leapt through the air like a dart with only one purpose, to kill my rival.

She crouched and gave a command to her 'guards'. They instantly joined her and my family joined me, ready to fight for the one we love.


	11. Chapter 10 - Predator to Prey

**Chapter Ten – Predator to Prey**

As bad days go, this was one of the worst. My truck had just broken down and school wasn't exactly the best of experiences. Namely me getting caught for the bomb stunt. 'What will I tell Charlie?' I thought, trudging through the little used path in the forest that I _hoped _would take me home.

There was a rustle in the bushes behind me and I snapped around, listening intently. I heard inhuman noises: faint growls and hisses. But I knew they weren't coming from animals; they almost seemed as if they were… intelligent.

'What is this? Who are they? Is it the agency?' Thoughts ran through my mind, each more terrifying than the last and I dropped down into a crouch and crawled into the clearing.

It was hard to tell if what I saw was wondrous and majestic or disgusting and terrifying. Most people would probably say it was a mixture of both, but to me, it was a lot more terrifying.

They were marble statues that had come alive in the most horrifying way, gold eyes and red both launched at each other with terrifying ferocity. So I did what any normal person would do: I screamed.

Every single head in the clearing snapped towards me, their inhuman skin glistening in the sunlight like diamond. A woman stepped towards me, her red eyes and Mexican appearance sticking out among the Cullens.

'The Cullens? They're here? How did I not notice them? Who are they? _What_are they?' It was hard to believe that I hadn't seen them, since they were _supposed _to be normal; just another nice family.

But no, they weren't, I realized as their gold eyes stared upon me like avenging angels, their diamond skin blinding me. But one face stood out from the rest. Edward.

'It's just a dream. It has to be! This can't be real, he can't be a vampire.' I stumbled backwards, tripping on a tree root. 'How can this be real?'

The woman stood next to me, her dark hair framing her too perfect face and her burgundy eyes. "Oh look, there's a snack. I hope she's not too rotten." She stroked my cheek and signalled to her cronies, bringing out a knife.

"You know, I gave up on venom long ago; it's too wasteful, I thought. After all, you should only give someone eternal life if they deserve it. Isn't that right, Jas?" She looked towards Jasper, her expression melting into one of sickening sweetness.

Carlisle dropped into a crouch, the Cullens joining him. "You can't do this. This is _our_ territory, and you are no longer welcome here." He stared at her with burning eyes, as if he had seen too many people die like this. "Let her go," he said, nodding toward me. "She's innocent, Maria. Just let her live."

"And what will I get in return?" Maria asked, her blade lowering slightly, though her guards remained tense and taut like a hunter's bow.

"Me. I will join you, if you just let her go, please." A familiar voice broke the air: Edward. The Cullens looked at him with shock and… and _concern? _Even Maria seemed surprised.

"You _like _her?" Maria laughed, the babyish sounded echoing through the clearing and making my fingers tremble. "Then it would be so much _more_ fun to kill her!" She grinned as she brought the knife down, savouring the blood that would soon be hers.

I grabbed the knife as it entered my stomach. Turning it to face Maria I returned her grin, the blade wet with my blood. "It's always rather strange to suddenly be transformed from predator to prey, isn't it? And when your prey surprises you, I'd say that's the best of them all."

I lunged at her with the knife, her cronies instantly blocking me. I laughed, my drilled decisions overriding my natural instincts. I snapped the brown haired vampire's neck, noticing that his eyes were a hungry black as he fell to the ground, dismembered.

I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder; Maria had stabbed me. I froze. 'What do I do now?' I thought uselessly.

Taking advantage of my distraction, Maria grabbed my neck, about to bite with her razor sharp teeth. I pushed her off, slamming her into a nearby tree. "Go away or you will no longer exist," I told her, my wounds disappearing as I spoke, and with one final glare at me she ran out of the clearing.

I turned around to face the Cullens, wondering exactly how to tell them who I was and to ask them the same. But with a sinking feeling in my heart I knew I wouldn't survive the night. I had used too much energy and had gotten too many wounds. At least I wouldn't have to tell Charlie about school.


	12. Chapter 11 - Stories

**Chapter Eleven – Stories**

"I'm not human," Edward said at the same time as me. He stopped, allowing me to go on.

"What do you mean, you're not human?" Carlisle asked, his curiosity overcoming his cautious nature; however his 'family' bunched closer together, thinking strength in numbers would provide more protection.

I opened my mouth then closed it again, hesitating. What I was about to say went against all that Charlie and Renee ever taught me, making me vulnerable. But then I thought of the loneliness of being different and the risk of being alone and carried on.

"I mean that I'm not really the average human." Blank looks were on every face. Esme opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off, carrying on with my speech.

"As you probably already know, I was born to Charlie Swan and Renee Swan here in Forks, but one of the things you probably don't know is that I was also selected for a 'vaccination'. Charlie was a bit worried but Renee was young and naïve. She let them get on with it. They only found out what it was later, but by then it was too late." The details came out alarmingly fast, making me wonder if I had ever been cover-safe.

"The injection was given by The Agency, a group of high-tech mercenaries that were interested in strengthening their ranks. They kept me locked in a room for a whole year, trying to create an invincible soldier." I looked up directly at the Cullens.

"One that would never tire, never feel pain, never be wounded. They had just completed the last set when Charlie came in and fought them off with one shotgun. It's amazing really, with the odds, that he succeeded, but I guess you can do that when you love someone."

"But the point is that they failed, they made a mistake. I am invincible during the day but at night, the wounds come back, my energy depleted. The only reason I survived most wounds was because of the availability of hospitals, but then they got suspicious so my parents treated me themselves."

"I was so careful of not doing anything that might reveal who I was, I didn't participate in sport or tried to make friends; it was safer alone. We were afraid of The Agency; the thing was that they didn't know that the whole experiment was a failure, and so my DNA was valuable property. They chased us for so long and soon enough Charlie gave up."

"He wasn't the man who had single-handedly saved his daughter anymore; he was a tired old cop who couldn't take it anymore. So Renee and I left for Phoenix, I was only two." I ignored the pitiful expressions that came my way; I hated being considered less fortunate.

"I learned how to act like I didn't care about anybody and soon enough I didn't. I had no friends, nobody to talk to and I was happy; I didn't hurt anyone and they didn't hurt me. I grew up, living the same life every day until it changed. My Mom found another man. His name was Phil, and he seemed perfect. He made my Mom happy, happier than with me and so I decided to leave. Better for them to be happy than scared for their lives for a freak daughter."

"And so I came to Forks… and you know the rest of the story from there." My heart felt lighter after saying everything, after putting my heart on my sleeve for near strangers.

The Cullens didn't act the way I thought they would; instead of screaming and calling the Police, they relaxed and looked at me as if they understood. I thought their first question would be 'What on earth are you talking about?' but the reality was quite different.

"Did you have anything to do with the murders of those men?" Jasper asked, still tensed. He didn't even have to name them; I knew exactly what he meant.

"Yes, they were from The Agency. They tried to take me. So I killed most of them and the rest fled." I said it simply, knowing that the Cullens would now know who I really was: a murderer. A monster.

"Are you alright?" Esme asked, her face full of concern. I had just confessed to being a monster and she was concerned for me? 'These people are too good for me.' I thought.

"That's wrong." Jasper muttered quietly. "You were feeling shame because you thought we were too good. You're wrong."

Edward looked away. "We are vampires." He said it without fuss, expecting me to run away and plead for my life. I did neither. Something told me that they weren't bad; that Edward was not the evil blood sucking parasite that I considered a vampire.

"Carlisle was bitten in 1663; he was the son of a priest who found it his passion to hunt vampires and witches. He was often wrong and innocent people died, but Carlisle was smarter. He found a coven of real vampires in London and so they went out with the torches and pitchforks, which didn't work out so well."

"Carlisle found that he didn't need to kill humans to survive. Instead, he drank the blood of animals. He only changed those who would die anyway: I was his first, Esme second and then Rosalie."

"So we are monsters, more than you. I am not good for you Bella, at all."

I forcibly closed my jaw, which was shamefully hanging open by the end of the story. 'They are vampires.' I thought over and over again. I knew I should run away, hide from them but part of me knew that I couldn't because I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time. I cared for Edward Cullen.

"Are you alright?" Alice asked.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright? You never answered Esme's question."

I smiled grimly. "I'm going to die at night." was my reply. My death didn't shock me but Edward's next words shocked me to my very core.

"Then I'm going to make that last day your best, and care for you any way I can, because you deserve that," he said softly.

His golden eyes never seemed so welcoming.


	13. Chapter 12 - Feelings

Chapter Twelve – Feelings

I forgot the pain. His music soothed my cuts, the sunlight healed my bruises, his smile healed my broken soul.

"Are you scared of heights Bella?" he asked, his hands moving fluidly across the pale piano, each finger creating beauty.

"What do you mean by heights, exactly?" I asked, concerned. If he meant hiking up a mountain I'd be in trouble. I'm not exactly graceful, especially not when I'm dying, and the thought of all those little rocks just waiting for me to trip over them… I shuddered.

Edward stopped playing, his amused expression making my heart beat a thousand times quicker – a fact I knew he would be aware of.

"Well… it would be much better if I showed you than told you." He grabbed my waist and jumped into thin air, and so I did what any normal person would do: I screamed. A lot.

My eyes stung as we settled down in the canopy of a large oak. Edward looked at me with that annoying half smile and I could feel a blush starting to form. I hated hormones just then.

"How come you faced off Maria without even flinching, but you screamed on the way here?" Edward played with my hair teasingly. "And it was very high pitched, if I may add."

"Not everyone is a stupid spider-monkey vampire, you know. Some people like being on land." I gripped the branches of the tree tightly. "And if you tell anyone about the scream I will…"

"What? Scream at me?" He chuckled lightly; his golden eyes stared into my brown ones and into my soul. "It must have been hard pushing everyone away. Did you ever just want to run away from it all?"

I blinked. "Is it 'Ask deep, probing questions that are none of your business' day? Because if it is, I haven't noticed."

"Bella, I'm sorry, it's just that I'm curious about you. No one has ever made me feel this way. You make me feel like I'm almost human and I prize you above everything for that." Edward looked at me in a way that made want to die inside, to do anything to make him happy.

"Too bad that's not going to last." I said half smiling, attempting to lift the mood. I looked out to the sky. "I had a friend; her name was Laura. She sat next to me in school, even talked to me sometimes… her dad was driving the van that was going to smash into her. Until I got in the way and saved her life. Then she ran away from me calling me a freak and other less…savoury names. So we left and I had learnt my lesson: never trust anyone."

Edward touched my hand, his ice cold skin like a burst of electricity, and I shivered involuntarily. He tried to pull his hand away but I held on, craving the companionship I had never had.

"What about you?" I asked, resting my head on his smooth, hard shoulder.

"Well, before I get to that, there's this tiny piece of information you don't know about me." Edward traced his fingers around my hand. "I can read minds."

"What?" I exploded, nearly falling off the tree. "And you didn't tell me that? You've been listening in to my deepest thoughts and playing around with my mind. This is why I shouldn't trust people!"

"Except you." Edward's voice was calm, soothing me from my little outburst. "I can't read your mind. It's like your on a different frequency like AM and I can only hear FM."

"Or maybe I'm a freak, just like Laura said."

"Wait a second, _I'm_ the vampire who can read minds but _you're_ a freak?"

"I'm the freaky, genetically modified something that just happens to be near invincible. I think that qualifies as a mega freak." I smirked at his lack of a comeback. "Are there any more like you?"

Edward laughed, the sound travelling through the air like the vibrations of a church bell. "Like me? Well, Jasper can manipulate emotions and Alice can see the future."

Absorbing this new information I said, "You never told me about what you thought of being a vampire and of your diet."

His eyes darkened. "I think that story can wait another day."

"There won't be another day."

"Well then time is running out, isn't it?"

I couldn't wait any longer. I just had to do it.

Our lips met, the cold electricity travelling down my spine and making me want more. I gripped his hair tighter, closing the small distance between us when he pushed me away roughly, his fists clenching.

"Sorry," I said, wringing my hands, wondering if I had done something wrong.

"Don't be." He smiled wryly. "I didn't think I could manage it. Your blood calls to me above all others. I could have killed you just then."

"So that's why you hated me on the first day," I said, mostly to myself.

"Well…" He started but I cut him off, reaching forward to his pale lips. "We're running out of time Bella, we have to…"

"Time doesn't exist," I whispered. "You can Google it."

We moved in a discordant rhythm, electricity filling our veins and making us feel more than alive. We moved to the other side of the tree, leaves filling our hair until we slipped and tumbled to the ground.

Reaching for his hand as we lay there in that muddy ditch, I spoke. "You make me feel Edward; you make me feel about people about you. Thank you," I whispered.

"Bella," Edward started, "I need to tell you something. I…" Edward was cut off by the sound of my cell phone's ringtone. I jumped to my feet.

"I need to take this. I'll meet you at the house, everyone will be waiting." Edward nodded, speeding off into the distance.

I flipped open my phone. It was a blocked number, but I answered anyway. "Hello, Bella Swan speaking."

"My little beauty. I'm sure your father's very proud of you, although he seems to be a little… tied up at the moment," the voice from my nightmares whispered in my ear, chilling me to my bones.

"What have you done to Charlie? What do you want? Tell me!" Tears trickled down my cheeks.

"Nothing…yet. But if you don't come to your house in one hour _alone_, you won't particularly have a father anymore. Got it?"

"I…I…" I stuttered. "I'll be there and I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt Charlie." I heard a click; he had disconnected.

Brushing the leaves out of my hair, I ran to my certain death.


	14. Chapter 13 - Noble

Chapter Thirteen – Noble

My cheeks were wet as I felt for the handle of the worn door. I paused, in deep thought. 'You don't have to do this,' Edward's voice rebounded inside my mind like gas particles in a tin can. 'You can live, love, be free…just don't do this Bella.'

I smiled briefly, wondering exactly when I had become so obsessed with Edward that I heard his imaginary voice in my head, before flinging the door to my death open.

At least it could be considered noble, if stupid.

I walked down the familiar worn carpet, relishing the forgotten memories of my past, each one as vivid as the photos that passed me by, their happy faces frozen in time. I passed the kitchen counter. Mom and Charlie had spent a whole day painting it yellow. Mom said it would bring a bit of sunshine…My heart clenching, I leaned against the wall. Silent sobs racked my body, each one harder than the next.

Footsteps fell behind me; I twisted around, my eyes puffed up and red. He had short-cropped hair with intense green eyes and a hawkish nose; handsome enough, but there was something in his eyes that screamed of violence and anger.

I shuddered inwardly, scraping my tears off. If I was going to do this, I was definitely not going to do it looking like a weak little crybaby. "Hello, Bella, your cooperation pleases me. Do come." He led me to the living room, allowing me to go first as if he was a gentleman.

"Captain, if we're going to do this I'd like to get it over with as soon as possible, without any games. So where's Charlie?" My voice held a dangerous edge to it.

"You were always impatient." He opened the door, chuckling.

Light flooded the room, illuminating the bound man in front of me. I gasped, running up to the bruised and bloodied man that was my father.

"Charlie…Charlie are you all right? What did they do to you?" I whispered, holding him in my hands. There was no reply other than a tightening of his fists and a clenching of his jaw.

"You…" I had no words for the evil man in front me; I stood up, my vision turning red. I swung a punch with all my strength, thinking only of Charlie.

A sharp needle entered my shoulder and I fell to my knees, conscious of only pain.

"A new invention, from yours truly may I add. Made especially for you and this situation. Those flames racing through your veins, that burning sensation you're getting… It's all because of me. And you will do what I say, because this one―" He tapped the syringe in his hand playfully. "―Is the antidote. Got it?" He dropped it within arms reach, so tantalizingly tempting, from my immobile, pain-racked body.

"And you know the best part, my last hurrah. It's the fact that there's only one antidote and how I injected the same poison into you dear old dad as well. At least he'll die painfully." Kicking my father's inert form he laughed, reveling in the cruelty. Then, as if possessed by the devil himself, he took a swab from his pocket and rubbed it on my inside cheek, before depositing it safely inside his jacket.

"Your DNA will definitely increase my sales, my beauty. Just imagine it: invincible mercenaries on sale for the highest price. I'll be a millionaire, and all because of you, my dear."

He checked his watch, still grinning. "He doesn't have that long―oh just about five minutes or so. You can enjoy watching him die, I suppose." He sauntered out of the house whistling, a sadistic smile on his face.

The crystal clear liquid tempted me into visions of just touching that syringe once, feeling the cool liquid quench the fire inside my body. I stretched my fingers out, forcing myself to get there, when the fire reached its strongest and I screamed involuntary. My fingers never reached the goal.

My father cried out in agony and my brain was seared by the sound of his pain. I was given new determination; I had to get that syringe. Stretching out just a few more inches, I touched the glass of the cure. Grabbing it, I forced myself upwards, ignoring the wounds that had started to appear.

Crawling to Charlie, I grabbed his feverish shoulder and slammed the needle in, my vision slowly darkening.

I heard Edward scream my name as I slid down, my adrenaline spent and my wounds appearing. I felt strangely at peace as the energy left my body and my thoughts quieted.

My eyes opened briefly to the wondrous sight of Edward repeating my name, his brow furrowed in worry and anger and then darkness.


End file.
